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Abstract
New Zealand has an impoverished dung-burying fauna which is unable to efficiently remove the large quantities of dung produced by introduced domestic livestock. It is estimated that dung from beef and dairy cattle alone covers 745 ha of pasture each day and that up to 5% of pasture is affected at any one time. The introduction of dung-burying beetles which are active in the summer months would complement the recycling of nutrients by earthworms which are active in winter. Dung burial by beetles is also known to reduce the number of flies breeding in dung. Cattle nuisance flies and sheep blowflies also use dung as a source of protein required for reproductive development. The activity of dung-burying beetles can reduce the number of internal parasites of livestock on pasture by 80–90%. It is proposed that the introduction to New Zealand of dung-burying beetles from countries with similar climate and soil types would reduce the contamination of pasture by excreta, enhance nutrient cycling, and reduce fly and helminth-related animal health problems.
